(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle which, in a prescribed area, is able to recognize and discriminate shapes in that area, and as an example of its application, can be used, as a robot for cleaning a room automatically.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a vehicle such as a floor cleaning robot, operates by moving forward and backward repeatedly, travelling around a room, detecting and recognizing shapes and obstacles in the room is shown, for example, in "Sensor Technology", April 1984, on pages 52-56.
When electric power is applied by means of an AC source through an electric cord during cleaning operation, there is the problem that the action of circling the room, recognizing obstacles, is often time consuming or sometimes recognition of particular objects is impossible, or ornaments in the room are pulled down by the cord which tends to twist round the obstacles.